Added classes cut into Memphis City Schools teachers' time for planning, grading

High school teachers in Memphis City Schools will teach seven classes a week this year instead of five.

"We think it's overburdening teachers," said Stephanie Fitzgerald, president of the teachers union. "They've not only moved up from five to seven classes, which could be as many as 60 extra students, but they have taken away planning time."

Instead of the 10 hours of preparation built into their schedules every two weeks, teachers will now have 90 minutes on alternating days, or 7.5 hours every two weeks to prepare.

"That's the time you plan, grade, set up lab experiments, make parent contact. It's almost like doubling the workload," Fitzgerald said.

The union last week asked for a meeting with Supt. Kriner Cash to discuss the issue. No meeting is scheduled, she said.

"If we don't get some kind of relief, the next thing will be to go to the board," she said.

The change is the result of the move to block scheduling in the city high schools. Instead of taking five classes a year, students now will take seven or eight, alternating them in 90-minute sessions that meet three days one week and two the next.

Teachers who are back to work this week say parents should not expect them to write college recommendation letters, grade the same volume of research papers or attend to the emotional needs of their students.

"I told a student (recently) that I will no longer be able to write college recommendations," said a White Station High teacher. "I purposefully told her because I want the word to get out. I want parents to know what is happening."

None of the teachers were willing to have their names published because they say they could be fired.

At Central High, English teachers have been told to quickly build creative writing and journalism classes, both new electives.

And Cordova and White Station teachers are pulling together civics, speech, practical law, astronomy and environmental science programs.

When they graduate in four years, students potentially will have earned 32 credits -- 10 more than required by the state -- giving them plenty of latitude to pass failed subjects without falling behind their peers and affecting graduation rates, a key indicator of a high school's success under the federal No Child Left Behind law.

Several Memphis high schools, including Hamilton and Ridgeway, failed to make adequate progress on state guidelines this year because they failed the graduation test.

With tens of thousands of students needing two to three extra classes a year, MCS principals were facing significant staff shortages by midsummer and waiting for Cash to rule on the solution.

Late last month, at a Board of Education retreat, he said it was time for "teachers to get loaded up," announcing that each would teach seven classes and that he was done wasting taxpayer money on "underloaded teachers."

He said the move was justified because teachers were getting five hours to prepare when the law requires only 2.5 hours of teacher prep time each week.

"He says we've been given five hours, like it's a gift. If he's taking that back, I'm taking back the three to five hours I give the children of this district every day," said a 35-year veteran at White Station.

"My gift to them has always been my time."

Board member Patrice Robinson is scheduled to meet with White Station teachers today.

"We need to hear what the teachers are saying, and I hope that the superintendent and his staff are being sensitive to their needs," Robinson said, "but everybody is having to do just a little more now."